1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a fluid metering device, and more particularly, to a fluid metering device for use in a direct chill casting system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Direct chill casting (also referred to as “DC casting”) is utilized to manufacture metal billets. DC casting may be horizontal DC casting or vertical DC casting. For vertical DC casting, the casting apparatus has a casting pit beneath floor level of the apparatus with vertically oriented casting cylinders situated above the casting pit.
Typically, the casting process involves pouring molten metal into a casting cylinder of a mold assembly. The casting cylinder gravitates slowly in the casting pit which cools down the molten metal. Mold assembly is further cooled by a water cooling system provided around the mold assembly. Lubricants are added to the mold to prevent sticking of molten or solid metal to the sides of the cylinder. Lubricants also trap any slag particles that may still be present in the metal and bring them to the top of the pool to form a floating layer of slag.
The casting pit serves as a catch basin for the cooling water and is also subject to hot metal spills. These metal spills result in effecting the quality of manufactured billets. It is important to monitor the speed of movement of casting cylinder to prevent metal spills, frozen molds or imperfections due to air inclusion.
Current DC casting systems use electro hydraulic servo control systems and coriolis flow meter feedback transducers for monitoring the speed of casting cylinder in the DC casting process. These electro hydraulic servo control systems and coriolis flow meters are complex to use and expensive to maintain and repair.
Therefore there is a need for a flow metering device that monitors the flow of fluid in a DC casting apparatus.